Writer, musician, former teacher, defender of human rights, trade union official till I retired, LGBTQ activist, living in Aotearoa New Zealand, supporter of left wing politics. No DMs.https://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3mmklknjyhs2lIs this a coincidence? Trump's 'slush fund' is $1.776B. What major event happened in 1776 on July 4? Any numerologists out there looking at the connection?23 May 2026 23:19 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmklknjyhs2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3mirceqdka22oI looked at Pete Hegseth and from a certain angle he looked like a Neanderthal man. I can't unsee it. I now refer to him as Lok!05 Apr 2026 17:43 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mirceqdka22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3mik2iceptc2oI just had to look up Trump's latest inappropriate comment to Macron because even after watching the video clip several times I could not work out what Trump was saying. It was slurred to the point of being incoherent. Why am I surprised?02 Apr 2026 20:33 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mik2iceptc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3mi5oxqsa7k2tWatching the news coverage of No Kings protests on CNN from overseas, I flipped to Fox news during a break to see what they were reporting. I was just in time to hear the celebrities (including Bruce Springsteen) being ridiculed for being irrelevant because of their age.28 Mar 2026 22:35 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi5oxqsa7k2thttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3mdvp3brkos2gDelighted that Aotearoa New Zealand has made the right decision. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq1kZByt3kQ02 Feb 2026 20:35 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdvp3brkos2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3m6l7a6nutc2mBeyond disgusted to learn that Trump and his cronies refuse to commemorate World Aids Day. Disgusted but not surprised. It just gets worse.27 Nov 2025 01:19 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6l7a6nutc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3m4tdv6ua6s2tReading Trump's Truth Social post (trashing Mamdani) I am puzzled by the part that reads "...as a Communist, this once great city has ZERO chance of success..." That is taking personification to extremes! (And yes. I am a compulsive grammarian.)04 Nov 2025 20:13 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4tdv6ua6s2thttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3m2uowe5xjk2kJust curious. I may not be a mathematician but it is hard to grasp how Trump is going to lower the price of some medications by several hundred %. Does that mean people can buy them and get some free cash as well?10 Oct 2025 22:13 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2uowe5xjk2khttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3m26bj3gfnk26Why does JD Vance always look so disapproving?! He seems incapable of smiling. That is, when he deigns to appear at all.02 Oct 2025 00:14 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3m26bj3gfnk26https://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3lvcj7d66ik27Why is Trump often interviewed on board his aircraft? He looks as though he needs the door frame to prop himself up, and the sound quality is dreadful. Thank goodness for subtitles!01 Aug 2025 01:36 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvcj7d66ik27https://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3lvciky2kb227https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/nz-hit-with-15-trump-trade-tariff-trade-minister-says-he-will-push-back/ar-AA1JGkcY?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ACTS&cvid=5a831b792f174cdffb34c5237d8dc1e4&ei=5301 Aug 2025 01:25 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvciky2kb227https://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3lt3nu2lk6c2jWhy does the term quisling keep coming to mind? 😡03 Jul 2025 21:20 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3lt3nu2lk6c2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3lrvzjvfe7s2yA favourite wardrobe item in Aotearoa New Zealand is the jandal, also called a thong. It is designed for casual footwear on the beach or in other informal settings. The jandal consists of a rubber or synthetic sole and a thin upper thong that fits between the toes.18 Jun 2025 22:08 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3lrvzjvfe7s2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3lr3igyh7wk2nDid I really just hear that on CNN? Gershon Baskin saying that Trump is the ONLY person who can bring about a resolution in the Gaza conflict, something that will ensure he gets his Nobel Prize?08 Jun 2025 08:53 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3lr3igyh7wk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3lqn7q7gl3c26Conversation between me (Aotearoa New Zealand) and my New York cousin. Me: Dreadful headline. A child has been murdered in the next street here. Cousin: Time to worry when news like that no longer makes the front page.02 Jun 2025 16:40 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqn7q7gl3c26https://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3lpyapbusdk2hIt was fascinating to watch the body language of Mike Johnson as he and Trump were promoting the Big Ugly Bill. Johnson alternated between gazing adoringly at his Idol and nodding his head seriously as he listened attentively to the Idol's utterances.25 May 2025 08:32 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpyapbusdk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3lmpymbkam225Chag Pesach Sameach!13 Apr 2025 21:30 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmpymbkam225https://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3lmi7cmhjts2dListening to Trump and just wondering... If he is transphobic and objects to the use of chosen pronouns, why does he then refer to "WE" rather than "I" when talking about something he has done/will do? Either this is the royal WE from a wannabe king or there is something he is not telling us!10 Apr 2025 19:08 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3lmi7cmhjts2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/savtastern.bsky.social/post/3lkwrwvcbms2wListening to Tiffany Smiley on CNN explain that Joe Biden does not need security clearance because of his age. The implication being that Trump is a youngster?22 Mar 2025 03:29 +0000at://did:plc:hijkrtwkhpd6sdpekahputmx/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkwrwvcbms2w